Various audio and visual materials have been utilized heretofore in an effort to supplement conventional language teaching methods which typically entail the use of a teacher who uses written materials. Recently, sophisticated materials such as microprocessors accessing random access memory devices in combination with speech synthesizers have been proposed for such purposes. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,579,533. Other devices that have sometimes been utilized are movies in which the audio portion is in a language to be learned and subtitles are provided in the speaker's native tongue. Such materials, however, do not assist the student in learning to think in the new language. Audio-visual materials have been heretofore available for use in teaching of signing to hearing impaired persons. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,879,210. The available materials, however, are not in a form adapted to teach a language to a person having a different native tongue.
Although various materials and devices have been heretofore available, a need has continued to exist for materials which permit a student to imitate the process by which a child learns language by associating sound with images and/or actions. It is a principal object of the present invention to provide such improved materials. An important related object is to provide such materials and processes which make language learning more efficient and shorten the length of time required to develop a command of a language. A related object is to provide such materials which will assist students who have a good command of the written language and who are unable to either speak the language or understand the spoken word to develop both of the latter skills.
A further object is to provide materials and processes which can be utilized both as a training aid for beginning or intermediate students to develop a rudimentary knowledge of a language but which also can be adapted for specific specialized uses for training such persons as newscasters, business people, engineers or doctors to develop a working knowledge of the new language as it relates to their professions. A still further object is to provide such materials which are intellectually stimulating and can be provided with a built in gauge of progress by the student. A still further object is to provide such materials such as are effective in teaching the student the meaning and use of idioms and slang expressions that are an important part of the new language.
In accordance with the invention, apparatus for teaching a language includes an audio visual medium for displaying a story on a screen in visual form accompanied by an audible sound track of said story in a language to be learned as well as by subtitles displaying each segment of the story in the written form also in the language to be learned. Each of the subtitles is provided with sequential identifying indicia corresponding to those of the written text. A text is provided containing a story in the written form with successive short segments of said story identified by means of sequential identifying indicia corresponding to those displayed on the screen. The text in the written form also contains explanations of idiomatic expressions of any other materials authors decide to include.
In a single track version subtitles are displayed simultaneously with the story. In a multitrack version they are recalled to the screen from one of the additional tracks separately or in combinations with remaining tracks(s). Means are provided to start, stop and reverse the audiovisual medium, as well as to display a desired combination of tracks. This permits the user to locate, display and repeat a particular segment or sequence repeatedly as desired.